absciccion

It’s November and in the UK autumn is in full swing. The tell tale signs of the leaves on deciduous trees turning from green through a variety of vibrant colours such as reds, oranges, yellows and then to brown & dropping are to be seen all around. As autumn progresses the once leaf adorned trees become bare and the shapes & structure of the trunks, branches and twigs are left to be seen.

The science bit…
Shedding their leaves helps trees to conserve water and energy & protect the tree from damage during the cold winter months. As unfavourable weather approaches, hormones in the trees trigger the process of abscission (to cut) whereby the leaves are actively cut-off of the tree by specialized cells. Initially, trees reabsorb valuable nutrients from their leaves and store them for later use in their roots. Chlorophyll, the pigment that gives leaves their green colour, is one of the first molecules to be broken down for its nutrients. This is one of the reasons why the leaves on the trees turn red, orange, and gold colours during autumn.

I noticed that I have been identifying with the changes that autumn signals and the process of abscission. I have felt for some time that certain aspects of my life and business have not been working as I’d like them too and it is time to “cut off” those, absorb the learning from those experiences, collect my resources and prepare to strenghten my roots ready to ‘burst’ back with new growth.